by Richard Anderson
Wyoming Sports.org
A little frustration wrapped tightly into a big ball turned into the Wyoming Cowboys first win in over a week Sunday.
A.J. Davis scored a career-high 20 points as Wyoming edged Pepperdine 86-82 in overtime Sunday in the World Vision Basketball Challenge.
The Cowboys (3-4), lost a 13-point second half-lead, but outscored the Waves 7-3 in overtime for their lone win of the tournament to snap a three-game skid.
"I thought it was a really good win for our guys, to come back after three tough days, and to bounce back short-handed and gut it out for a win against a really good team," Wyoming coach Heath Schroyer said. "I couldn't be happier for my guys, to be able to gut that out."
Tournament MVP Keion Bell scored 28 points for the Pepperdine (3-4), which won the tournament based on earlier wins over Hampton and Monmouth.
The Cowboys appeared to be in control in the second half, leading by 11 with 4:49 to play, but Pepperdine chipped away and tied the game on a 3-pointer by Joshua Lowery with nine seconds left.
The Cowboys' JayDee Luster missed an off-balance jumper with five seconds left and Bell had a chance to win it in regulation, missing a 3-pointer at the buzzer.
Davis, who scored five of Wyoming's seven overtime points, got a steal and layup with 2:33 left in overtime to put the Cowboys in front for good at 83-81.
"I just trusted my teammates and they just trusted me," Davis said. "Coach (Schroyer) emphasizes trust and he just wants us to come out and play as one, whether it is as a coaching staff or as a team, and that is what we did."
Thomas Manzano and Adam Waddell scored 15 points each for the Cowboys, with Djibril Thiam adding 10.
"This is exactly what we needed," Waddell said. "It's been a long last couple of games. We needed this win right now in in the worst way. We need to build on this, and thankfully we have a whole week to work on some stuff."
Luster had a solid all-around game with nine points, nine assists and five steals.
"It was real gratifying to come out here tonight," Luster said. "Not a lot of people thought we were going to come out of here with a victory, but we believe in ourselves and it was a team win."
Jonathan Dupre scored 16 for Pepperdine, followed by Lorne Jackson with 11 and Lowery with 10.
"We made too many mistakes to win the game, we put them on the foul line too many times," said Pepperdine coach Tom Asbury. "I think we may have been a little tired; three games in three days is grind, but we all had to do it. Overall, I'm happy with my young team's performance."
The Cowboys shot just 41 percent from the field and hit just 4 of 18 3-pointers, but Wyoming had only three 3-pointers in 39 attempts in their previous three games -- all losses. Two early 3-pointers by Ryan Dermody and Davis gave them a boost, Schroyer said.
"To be honest, I think the difference was just making a couple of shots from the perimeter in the first half," Schroyer said. "I could sense that the guys were more relaxed and were not as uptight. We were able to knock down shots and we guarded pretty well."
The Cowboys will now have the week to prepare for Loyola-Marymount next Saturday.
"I believe we took a real step toward growing up today," Schroyer said. "We've faced some adversity with Afam (Muojeke) being injured, and we had a lot of young players step up and make plays."
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Pirates thump Cowboys
UW-Hampton box
by Bobby Abplanalp
Wyoming Sports.org
The Wyoming Cowboys continue to struggle, dropping their third straight game to the previously winless Hampton Pirates 78-67 Saturday night in the World Vision Basketball Challenge at the Arena-Auditorium ,
Wyoming, 2-4, is now out of tournament championship contention, while Hampton, 1-5, can still play for as high as second place.
The Cowboys had a player’s only meeting after their two-point loss to Monmouth on Friday night, but it appears those problems haven't gone away, with their leading scorer, Afam Muojeke, still injured. He played just 14 minutes Saturday and had two points.
“I just made a decision to go zone defensively, so I could hide him,” UW head coach Heath Schroyer said about Muojeke. “I knew he couldn’t press or play man-to-man, so we hid him in the zone so we could have him offensively to make shots. When your leading scorer is out and the rest of us are very young, it makes it very tough.”
One of those problems is shooting, as the Pokes shot an abysmal 34 percent from the field and hit just 1 of 21 3-point attempts. Wyoming has hit just 3 of 42 3-pointers in the last three games.
“I thought we had some really good wide open looks and we just didn’t knock them down,” Schroyer said. “It gets into a snowball effect. We don’t make shots continuously and it puts pressure on us defensively and we don’t guard as hard as we need to guard and it just snowballs.”
“I think everyone on the team has confidence to knock it down, it’s just a matter of getting that confidence back,” Muojeke said. “We’re in a slump, we’re young, and we just got a lot of growing up to do.”
Hampton opened up the game on an 18-5 run before Djibril Thiam and A.J. Davis rallied the Cowboys back to cut the lead to eight at halftime.
Wyoming opened the second half on a 12-2 run to take their first lead of the game at 38-36, but Hampton answered with a 9-2 run taking a 45-40 lead and they would never trail again.
The Pokes could not get any closer than four points because Hampton shooting guard Vincent Simpson had an answer every time from 3-point land to thwart any Wyoming comeback, including a 3-pointer at the three-minute mark to increase their lead to 71-64, sealing the game.
Wyoming has now lost three games in a four-day span.
“It’s really disappointing because that’s not what we planned on doing,” Thiam said of the losing streak. “Things happen and we just got to bounce back from it. We got to stay mentally focused for what we got to do and that is play harder.”
Simpson finished with 34 points on 10 of 17 shooting and 6 of 10 from downtown, while converting 8 of 10 from the free-throw line.
“He’s our guy right now,” Hampton head coach Edward Joyner Jr. said about Simpson. “He’s been struggling as of late and now it finally paid off for us. He was very huge and it got us our first win.”
Thiam and Davis led the Pokes, recording 20 and 18 points, while Adam Waddell threw in 14.
Hampton has lost some close games this season, but has lost something much more important, their team-captain and leader Theo Smalling was shot last month on his 22nd birthday and died the following night in the hospital.
“Three weeks ago we were at our star center and captain’s funeral, so that’s what it’s been like,” Joyner Jr. said. “I’m happy for the guys. They stuck together, and they played together. We lost our first few games, but that was also on me for preparation because we couldn’t practice for a while, but they stuck together and stayed in it and they believed and they finally got the first win on their label.”
Wyoming will try to end their three-game losing skid against the Pepperdine Waves Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m., while Hampton takes on Monmouth at 12 p.m., in the Arena-Auditorium.
by Bobby Abplanalp
Wyoming Sports.org
The Wyoming Cowboys continue to struggle, dropping their third straight game to the previously winless Hampton Pirates 78-67 Saturday night in the World Vision Basketball Challenge at the Arena-Auditorium ,
Wyoming, 2-4, is now out of tournament championship contention, while Hampton, 1-5, can still play for as high as second place.
The Cowboys had a player’s only meeting after their two-point loss to Monmouth on Friday night, but it appears those problems haven't gone away, with their leading scorer, Afam Muojeke, still injured. He played just 14 minutes Saturday and had two points.
“I just made a decision to go zone defensively, so I could hide him,” UW head coach Heath Schroyer said about Muojeke. “I knew he couldn’t press or play man-to-man, so we hid him in the zone so we could have him offensively to make shots. When your leading scorer is out and the rest of us are very young, it makes it very tough.”
One of those problems is shooting, as the Pokes shot an abysmal 34 percent from the field and hit just 1 of 21 3-point attempts. Wyoming has hit just 3 of 42 3-pointers in the last three games.
“I thought we had some really good wide open looks and we just didn’t knock them down,” Schroyer said. “It gets into a snowball effect. We don’t make shots continuously and it puts pressure on us defensively and we don’t guard as hard as we need to guard and it just snowballs.”
“I think everyone on the team has confidence to knock it down, it’s just a matter of getting that confidence back,” Muojeke said. “We’re in a slump, we’re young, and we just got a lot of growing up to do.”
Hampton opened up the game on an 18-5 run before Djibril Thiam and A.J. Davis rallied the Cowboys back to cut the lead to eight at halftime.
Wyoming opened the second half on a 12-2 run to take their first lead of the game at 38-36, but Hampton answered with a 9-2 run taking a 45-40 lead and they would never trail again.
The Pokes could not get any closer than four points because Hampton shooting guard Vincent Simpson had an answer every time from 3-point land to thwart any Wyoming comeback, including a 3-pointer at the three-minute mark to increase their lead to 71-64, sealing the game.
Wyoming has now lost three games in a four-day span.
“It’s really disappointing because that’s not what we planned on doing,” Thiam said of the losing streak. “Things happen and we just got to bounce back from it. We got to stay mentally focused for what we got to do and that is play harder.”
Simpson finished with 34 points on 10 of 17 shooting and 6 of 10 from downtown, while converting 8 of 10 from the free-throw line.
“He’s our guy right now,” Hampton head coach Edward Joyner Jr. said about Simpson. “He’s been struggling as of late and now it finally paid off for us. He was very huge and it got us our first win.”
Thiam and Davis led the Pokes, recording 20 and 18 points, while Adam Waddell threw in 14.
Hampton has lost some close games this season, but has lost something much more important, their team-captain and leader Theo Smalling was shot last month on his 22nd birthday and died the following night in the hospital.
“Three weeks ago we were at our star center and captain’s funeral, so that’s what it’s been like,” Joyner Jr. said. “I’m happy for the guys. They stuck together, and they played together. We lost our first few games, but that was also on me for preparation because we couldn’t practice for a while, but they stuck together and stayed in it and they believed and they finally got the first win on their label.”
Wyoming will try to end their three-game losing skid against the Pepperdine Waves Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m., while Hampton takes on Monmouth at 12 p.m., in the Arena-Auditorium.
Waves run past Hawks
by Bobby Abplanalp
Wyoming Sports.org
The Pepperdine Waves blew a two-point halftime lead open in the second half to run by the Monmouth Hawks 82-73 in the second round of the World Vision Basketball Challenge at the Arena-Auditorium Saturday.
Pepperdine, 3-3, can claim the tournament championship Sunday with a win over the host Wyoming Cowboys.
Monmouth, 2-4, is now 1-1 in the tournament and will play the Hampton Pirates Sunday at noon.
Keion Bell had a career high 34 points for Pepperdine on 11 of 16 shooting, including 1 of 2 from beyond the arc and 11 of 12 from the charity stripe. Dane Suttle Jr. had 16 points, while Mychel Thompson chipped in 11.
The Waves used a balanced up tempo attack to turn a 29-27 halftime lead into double digits most of the way in the second half. Pepperdine led by as many as 15 points.
The pace of the game was different of Pepperdine’s game against Hampton the day before, but head coach Tom Asbury said that is to his liking if they execute properly.
“It’s always our game plan if we can execute our defense and get some run outs,” Asbury said. “We got our hands on some balls; I think that was a big part of it. We’re a pretty quick team and when we get out in the open floor we got a pretty good chance. We got some guys that can score.”
Bell also said the plan was to be able to get Monmouth to play into their up tempo style.
“We had to get the ball moving and get the defenders moving,” Bell said. “There were a lot of holes that we were creating and we were hitting outside shots too. We were really moving it offensively today.”
Monmouth had four players in double figures with Whitney Coleman leading the way with 20. Teammates Justin Sofman, Travis Taylor, and Ed Waite had 18, 13, and 10 points respectively.
Bell said they have to be ready for Wyoming on Sunday.
“We got to go home and watch film. You can’t compare scores,” Bell said. “The game is all about matchups. They (Monmouth) beat Wyoming, but that doesn’t really mean anything. We’ll have to go home and study and come out and play hard tomorrow.”
Asbury said the Waves need to rebound against the Cowboys.
"They (Wyoming) are really big and we need to handle their pressure," he said. "We just need to take care of the ball, that’s really good for us. Once the ball goes up you got to forget who you’re playing and play basketball.”
Wyoming Sports.org
The Pepperdine Waves blew a two-point halftime lead open in the second half to run by the Monmouth Hawks 82-73 in the second round of the World Vision Basketball Challenge at the Arena-Auditorium Saturday.
Pepperdine, 3-3, can claim the tournament championship Sunday with a win over the host Wyoming Cowboys.
Monmouth, 2-4, is now 1-1 in the tournament and will play the Hampton Pirates Sunday at noon.
Keion Bell had a career high 34 points for Pepperdine on 11 of 16 shooting, including 1 of 2 from beyond the arc and 11 of 12 from the charity stripe. Dane Suttle Jr. had 16 points, while Mychel Thompson chipped in 11.
The Waves used a balanced up tempo attack to turn a 29-27 halftime lead into double digits most of the way in the second half. Pepperdine led by as many as 15 points.
The pace of the game was different of Pepperdine’s game against Hampton the day before, but head coach Tom Asbury said that is to his liking if they execute properly.
“It’s always our game plan if we can execute our defense and get some run outs,” Asbury said. “We got our hands on some balls; I think that was a big part of it. We’re a pretty quick team and when we get out in the open floor we got a pretty good chance. We got some guys that can score.”
Bell also said the plan was to be able to get Monmouth to play into their up tempo style.
“We had to get the ball moving and get the defenders moving,” Bell said. “There were a lot of holes that we were creating and we were hitting outside shots too. We were really moving it offensively today.”
Monmouth had four players in double figures with Whitney Coleman leading the way with 20. Teammates Justin Sofman, Travis Taylor, and Ed Waite had 18, 13, and 10 points respectively.
Bell said they have to be ready for Wyoming on Sunday.
“We got to go home and watch film. You can’t compare scores,” Bell said. “The game is all about matchups. They (Monmouth) beat Wyoming, but that doesn’t really mean anything. We’ll have to go home and study and come out and play hard tomorrow.”
Asbury said the Waves need to rebound against the Cowboys.
"They (Wyoming) are really big and we need to handle their pressure," he said. "We just need to take care of the ball, that’s really good for us. Once the ball goes up you got to forget who you’re playing and play basketball.”
Friday, November 27, 2009
Late jumper sinks Cowboys
by Bobby Abplanalp
Wyoming Sports.org
Whitney Coleman’s’ jumper with three seconds left carried the Monmouth Hawks past the Wyoming Cowboys 75-73 in the second game of the World Vision Basketball Challenge Friday night at the Arena-Auditorium in Laramie.
Wyoming, 2-3, led by two at halftime after trailing by as many as 12 points in the first half, as reserve guard Desmar Jackson and forward A.J. Davis rallied the Cowboys back into the game and the fight was on.
Monmouth, 2-3, opened the second half on a 25-15 run to take a 57-49 lead with just under 12 minutes remaining, but the Pokes would come back with a 10-0 run of their own to regain the lead by two.
The Cowboys would lead by five on two occasions in the half, but Wyoming could not put the Hawks away.
Wyoming then took a 73-69 lead on a driving layup by Jackson with 2:48 left in the game, but unfortunately for the Pokes, Monmouth would score the final six points of the contest with the final dagger coming on Coleman’s jumper with three seconds left. The Cowboys final heave came up short at the end.
“We didn’t play very well in any facet of the game,” UW head coach Heath Schroyer said. “When we don’t play very well, especially as young and inexperienced as we are, anybody can beat you, and they (Monmouth) did. But I give credit to Monmouth, too. They played well and made big plays down the stretch.”
Jackson had a career-high 22 points off the bench, which led the team.
“I thought Dez (Jackson) played well, which was a bright spot,” Schroyer said. “He’s a true freshman, and he’s going to be a special player.”
Leading scorer Afam Muojeke sat out with a leg injury and small forward Thomas Manzano started in his place and finished with seven points.
Davis and Adam Waddell recorded 10 points apiece, but despite the absence of Muojeke, Schroyer says he needs his team to really step up.
“We’re down our best player right now and we have a lot of young players logging a lot of minutes,” Schroyer said. “We have to find a way to make shots and win a game. We had some good looks around the basket that didn’t go down.”
Monmouth was led by Colman’s game-high 24 points, while Justin Sofman, Ed Waite, and Travis Taylor scored in double figures with 16, 11 and 10 points respectively.
Wyoming will be back at it again Saturday to try and get back in tournament championship contention by hosting the Hampton Pirates at 7:30 p.m., while Monmouth takes on the Pepperdine Waves at 4:30 p.m., in the Arena-Auditorium.
Wyoming Sports.org
Whitney Coleman’s’ jumper with three seconds left carried the Monmouth Hawks past the Wyoming Cowboys 75-73 in the second game of the World Vision Basketball Challenge Friday night at the Arena-Auditorium in Laramie.
Wyoming, 2-3, led by two at halftime after trailing by as many as 12 points in the first half, as reserve guard Desmar Jackson and forward A.J. Davis rallied the Cowboys back into the game and the fight was on.
Monmouth, 2-3, opened the second half on a 25-15 run to take a 57-49 lead with just under 12 minutes remaining, but the Pokes would come back with a 10-0 run of their own to regain the lead by two.
The Cowboys would lead by five on two occasions in the half, but Wyoming could not put the Hawks away.
Wyoming then took a 73-69 lead on a driving layup by Jackson with 2:48 left in the game, but unfortunately for the Pokes, Monmouth would score the final six points of the contest with the final dagger coming on Coleman’s jumper with three seconds left. The Cowboys final heave came up short at the end.
“We didn’t play very well in any facet of the game,” UW head coach Heath Schroyer said. “When we don’t play very well, especially as young and inexperienced as we are, anybody can beat you, and they (Monmouth) did. But I give credit to Monmouth, too. They played well and made big plays down the stretch.”
Jackson had a career-high 22 points off the bench, which led the team.
“I thought Dez (Jackson) played well, which was a bright spot,” Schroyer said. “He’s a true freshman, and he’s going to be a special player.”
Leading scorer Afam Muojeke sat out with a leg injury and small forward Thomas Manzano started in his place and finished with seven points.
Davis and Adam Waddell recorded 10 points apiece, but despite the absence of Muojeke, Schroyer says he needs his team to really step up.
“We’re down our best player right now and we have a lot of young players logging a lot of minutes,” Schroyer said. “We have to find a way to make shots and win a game. We had some good looks around the basket that didn’t go down.”
Monmouth was led by Colman’s game-high 24 points, while Justin Sofman, Ed Waite, and Travis Taylor scored in double figures with 16, 11 and 10 points respectively.
Wyoming will be back at it again Saturday to try and get back in tournament championship contention by hosting the Hampton Pirates at 7:30 p.m., while Monmouth takes on the Pepperdine Waves at 4:30 p.m., in the Arena-Auditorium.
Waves overcome Pirates
by Bobby Abplanalp
Wyoming Sports.org
The Pepperdine Waves won the opening game of the World Vision Challenge, which is hosted by the University of Wyoming, pulling away from the Hampton Pirates 75-66 Friday evening at the Arena-Auditorium in Laramie.
Pepperdine, of the West Coast Conference, is now 2-3 on the season and will move on to play the Monmouth Hawks on Saturday.
Hampton, from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, has yet to win a game this season and now sits at 0-5.
Shooting guard Dane Suttle Jr. led all scorers with 22 points and scored 18 of those in the first half. The Waves led 31-28 at the break.
Pepperdine toughened up its defense and was able to get inside easier for high-percentage shots in the second half to essentially pull away from the Pirates and led by as many as 11 points.
“The game plan in the second half was to come out and play hard and try to maintain the lead,” Suttle Jr. said. “We played zone (defense) pretty good in the first half. We just wanted to go hard and lock up on defense and crash the boards. I thought we did that in the second half.”
Pepperdine head coach and former Wyoming standout Tom Asbury was pleased to come back to Laramie and get a win.
“It’s fun to come back, it brings back a million memories,” Asbury said. “It’s kind of another home for me. Coaches live a lot of places, but this is a home away from home for me. It’s good to be back, we’re going to be here for three days and going to enjoy looking around for a little bit.”
After relying on the outside shot in the first half, the Waves went inside in the second half.
“We relied too much on the perimeter game in the first half and our post guys weren’t scoring much," Asbury said. "Once we started dribble penetrating and getting to the foul line and getting the ball to the bigs, it worked a little bit better and then we turned the ball over so much too, we just kept shooting ourselves in the foot in the first half and enabled them to stay around and stay in the game.”
Hampton was led by Michael Freeman and Darrion Pellum with 16 points each.
"We struggled in the second half and couldn't put an entire game together," Hampton coach Edward Joyner Jr. said. "We just didn't play well in the second half, that was plain to see."
Wyoming Sports.org
The Pepperdine Waves won the opening game of the World Vision Challenge, which is hosted by the University of Wyoming, pulling away from the Hampton Pirates 75-66 Friday evening at the Arena-Auditorium in Laramie.
Pepperdine, of the West Coast Conference, is now 2-3 on the season and will move on to play the Monmouth Hawks on Saturday.
Hampton, from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, has yet to win a game this season and now sits at 0-5.
Shooting guard Dane Suttle Jr. led all scorers with 22 points and scored 18 of those in the first half. The Waves led 31-28 at the break.
Pepperdine toughened up its defense and was able to get inside easier for high-percentage shots in the second half to essentially pull away from the Pirates and led by as many as 11 points.
“The game plan in the second half was to come out and play hard and try to maintain the lead,” Suttle Jr. said. “We played zone (defense) pretty good in the first half. We just wanted to go hard and lock up on defense and crash the boards. I thought we did that in the second half.”
Pepperdine head coach and former Wyoming standout Tom Asbury was pleased to come back to Laramie and get a win.
“It’s fun to come back, it brings back a million memories,” Asbury said. “It’s kind of another home for me. Coaches live a lot of places, but this is a home away from home for me. It’s good to be back, we’re going to be here for three days and going to enjoy looking around for a little bit.”
After relying on the outside shot in the first half, the Waves went inside in the second half.
“We relied too much on the perimeter game in the first half and our post guys weren’t scoring much," Asbury said. "Once we started dribble penetrating and getting to the foul line and getting the ball to the bigs, it worked a little bit better and then we turned the ball over so much too, we just kept shooting ourselves in the foot in the first half and enabled them to stay around and stay in the game.”
Hampton was led by Michael Freeman and Darrion Pellum with 16 points each.
"We struggled in the second half and couldn't put an entire game together," Hampton coach Edward Joyner Jr. said. "We just didn't play well in the second half, that was plain to see."
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Cowboys to host World Vision Challenge
The Wyoming Cowboys get right back to work, hosting the World Vision Challenge Friday through Sunday in the Arena-Auditorium.
The World Vision Challenge will feature six games, two each day, between the likes of Wyoming, Pepperdine, Hampton and Monmouth. On Friday and Saturday, action will begin at 4:30 p.m. and on Sunday, games will begin at 12 p.m. The Cowboys will play Monmouth on Friday at 7:30 p.m., Hampton on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Pepperdine on Sunday at 3 p.m.
The Cowboys will enter the World Vision Challenge with a 2-2 overall record. They will be looking to rebound from a tough Wednesday night road loss to Denver (80-77). That loss snapped a two-game winning streak.
"It's going to be good," Wyoming coach Heath Schroyer said Wednesday night on the Cowboy Sports Network postgame show. "We'll have three home games and try to make a little hay."
Sophomore Afam Muojeke continues to lead the Cowboys in scoring and is averaging 20.8 points a game. Senior Ryan Dermody is the Pokes’ leading rebounder with 5.3 per contest. Redshirt sophomore JayDee Luster leads the team in assists, and is averaging 3.5 a game.
This Friday’s game will mark the second meeting between Wyoming and Monmouth. The Pokes won the first meeting, 52-47, on Dec. 27, 1994 in the Casper Shootout. Monmouth is currently 1-3 overall.
Saturday’s game with Hampton will mark the first ever meeting between the Cowboys and Pirates. Hampton enters the tournament with an overall record of 0-4.
The Cowboys’ opponent on Sunday will be the Pepperdine Waves, who are currently 1-3 overall. The Cowboys and Waves have met two previous times, both of which were played in Laramie. The Cowboys won the first meeting back in 1959 by a score of 75-68. More recently, Pepperdine beat the Cowboys 72-69 in the first round of the 2001 NIT. Pepperdine is coached by Tom Asbury, who was a letterwinner at UW from 1965-67 and was also a Cowboy assistant coach from 1977-79.
The naming rights to the tournament were donated to World Vision by Basketball Travelers, Inc. As a Christian humanitarian organization, World Vision aims to contribute to a 75 percent reduction in malaria cases, with the end goal of nearly zero preventable malaria deaths by 2015. World Vision works in 62 malaria-endemic countries, 23 of which are in sub-Saharan Africa.
The World Vision Challenge will feature six games, two each day, between the likes of Wyoming, Pepperdine, Hampton and Monmouth. On Friday and Saturday, action will begin at 4:30 p.m. and on Sunday, games will begin at 12 p.m. The Cowboys will play Monmouth on Friday at 7:30 p.m., Hampton on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Pepperdine on Sunday at 3 p.m.
The Cowboys will enter the World Vision Challenge with a 2-2 overall record. They will be looking to rebound from a tough Wednesday night road loss to Denver (80-77). That loss snapped a two-game winning streak.
"It's going to be good," Wyoming coach Heath Schroyer said Wednesday night on the Cowboy Sports Network postgame show. "We'll have three home games and try to make a little hay."
Sophomore Afam Muojeke continues to lead the Cowboys in scoring and is averaging 20.8 points a game. Senior Ryan Dermody is the Pokes’ leading rebounder with 5.3 per contest. Redshirt sophomore JayDee Luster leads the team in assists, and is averaging 3.5 a game.
This Friday’s game will mark the second meeting between Wyoming and Monmouth. The Pokes won the first meeting, 52-47, on Dec. 27, 1994 in the Casper Shootout. Monmouth is currently 1-3 overall.
Saturday’s game with Hampton will mark the first ever meeting between the Cowboys and Pirates. Hampton enters the tournament with an overall record of 0-4.
The Cowboys’ opponent on Sunday will be the Pepperdine Waves, who are currently 1-3 overall. The Cowboys and Waves have met two previous times, both of which were played in Laramie. The Cowboys won the first meeting back in 1959 by a score of 75-68. More recently, Pepperdine beat the Cowboys 72-69 in the first round of the 2001 NIT. Pepperdine is coached by Tom Asbury, who was a letterwinner at UW from 1965-67 and was also a Cowboy assistant coach from 1977-79.
The naming rights to the tournament were donated to World Vision by Basketball Travelers, Inc. As a Christian humanitarian organization, World Vision aims to contribute to a 75 percent reduction in malaria cases, with the end goal of nearly zero preventable malaria deaths by 2015. World Vision works in 62 malaria-endemic countries, 23 of which are in sub-Saharan Africa.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Jackson shines as fill-in for injured Luster
Freshman Desmar Jackson, left,
and sophomore JayDee Luster
UW-Boise State boxscore
By Richard Anderson
Wyoming Sports.org
In two games, true freshman point guard Desmar Jackson had a played a predictable 21 minutes off of the bench, scoring 11 points and dishing out two assists.
With sophomore JayDee Luster cemented in at the point guard position, the early part of this season was designed to bring Jackson along at a comfortable pace.
That all came to a crashing halt when Luster went down five minutes into Saturday’s 87-61 win over Boise State with a slight separated right shoulder. Luster tried to come back a few minutes later, but played on just one possession before coming out again for good.
Jackson finished with 11 points, seven assists and just two turnovers in 22 minutes. Sophomore A.J. Davis also filled in at the point at times.
“I was comfortable. It was all right,’ Jackson said nonchalantly. “I wasn’t nervous, it was already there. I just had to get in and go with the flow.”
Jackson flowed well for the Cowboys, who didn’t miss a beat and he helped ignite a big second half that saw the Cowboys open up a 20-point plus lead.
“For playing his first big Division I game -- we played a good team -- he showed a lot of poise and he played it aggressively and did what coach told him to do,” said Wyoming sophomore post Adam Waddell, who finished with 16 points “He made the right plays at the right time.”
Wyoming head coach Heath Schroyer said he was happy with Jackson’s performance, as well as the play from Davis, who also scored seven points in 22 minutes.
“To ask a freshman to come in … he had 11 points, seven assists, two turnovers,” Schroyer said. “You can’t ask for anything more. For us to be able to beat a really good, veteran Boise team by 26 without your starting point guard for 35 minutes, it is a credit to my staff and to my kids. They played great.”
Junior forward Djibril Thiam, who led the Cowboys with 19 points, said the Wyoming coaching staff has done a good job of reminding the younger players to stay sharp because their chance will come.
“Because he is a freshman, the coaches are on him to try to make him understand,” Thiam said. “He did a good job and we have complete confidence in him.”
What did Jackson think about his first extended minutes of running the Wyoming offense? He said he had no choice but to just go in because he is the only true point guard left.
“I’m just trying to play a role, I’m not trying to take his (Luster)spot or anything like that,” Jackson said. “We need him back later.”
Schroyer also said the Cowboys didn’t really have time to think about any other options when Luster went down. They just went with the true freshman.
“Even when we went to Fresno and when we had our exhibition, we really tried as a staff to play a lot of people and to play guys for reasons like that,” Schroyer said. “I thought Des did a great job. It’s one of the strengths of this team, I believe, depth. We’ll get Jay back and we will eventually get Amath (M’Baye) back and Arthur (Bouedo) back, and it just gives us a deeper bench.”
Schroyer said that even with Jackson running the offense, they didn’t make any drastic changes offensively.
“Coach (Fred) Langley and I probably made a few more calls from the bench, where a lot of times Jay would make the calls a lot,” he said. “We really didn’t change anything or run anything different. We probably just called a few more things on the fly.”
For Luster, who went into the game averaging 4.5 points and 6.5 assists a game, it will be a wait-and-see situation for the Cowboys.
“It’s not a severe separation, but from what I understand, he just wasn’t able to come back, so we’re going to have to go day-to-day and see where we’re at,” Schroyer said.
The Cowboys return to action Wednesday at Denver.
and sophomore JayDee LusterUW-Boise State boxscore
By Richard Anderson
Wyoming Sports.org
In two games, true freshman point guard Desmar Jackson had a played a predictable 21 minutes off of the bench, scoring 11 points and dishing out two assists.
With sophomore JayDee Luster cemented in at the point guard position, the early part of this season was designed to bring Jackson along at a comfortable pace.
That all came to a crashing halt when Luster went down five minutes into Saturday’s 87-61 win over Boise State with a slight separated right shoulder. Luster tried to come back a few minutes later, but played on just one possession before coming out again for good.
Jackson finished with 11 points, seven assists and just two turnovers in 22 minutes. Sophomore A.J. Davis also filled in at the point at times.
“I was comfortable. It was all right,’ Jackson said nonchalantly. “I wasn’t nervous, it was already there. I just had to get in and go with the flow.”
Jackson flowed well for the Cowboys, who didn’t miss a beat and he helped ignite a big second half that saw the Cowboys open up a 20-point plus lead.
“For playing his first big Division I game -- we played a good team -- he showed a lot of poise and he played it aggressively and did what coach told him to do,” said Wyoming sophomore post Adam Waddell, who finished with 16 points “He made the right plays at the right time.”
Wyoming head coach Heath Schroyer said he was happy with Jackson’s performance, as well as the play from Davis, who also scored seven points in 22 minutes.
“To ask a freshman to come in … he had 11 points, seven assists, two turnovers,” Schroyer said. “You can’t ask for anything more. For us to be able to beat a really good, veteran Boise team by 26 without your starting point guard for 35 minutes, it is a credit to my staff and to my kids. They played great.”
Junior forward Djibril Thiam, who led the Cowboys with 19 points, said the Wyoming coaching staff has done a good job of reminding the younger players to stay sharp because their chance will come.
“Because he is a freshman, the coaches are on him to try to make him understand,” Thiam said. “He did a good job and we have complete confidence in him.”
What did Jackson think about his first extended minutes of running the Wyoming offense? He said he had no choice but to just go in because he is the only true point guard left.
“I’m just trying to play a role, I’m not trying to take his (Luster)spot or anything like that,” Jackson said. “We need him back later.”
Schroyer also said the Cowboys didn’t really have time to think about any other options when Luster went down. They just went with the true freshman.
“Even when we went to Fresno and when we had our exhibition, we really tried as a staff to play a lot of people and to play guys for reasons like that,” Schroyer said. “I thought Des did a great job. It’s one of the strengths of this team, I believe, depth. We’ll get Jay back and we will eventually get Amath (M’Baye) back and Arthur (Bouedo) back, and it just gives us a deeper bench.”
Schroyer said that even with Jackson running the offense, they didn’t make any drastic changes offensively.
“Coach (Fred) Langley and I probably made a few more calls from the bench, where a lot of times Jay would make the calls a lot,” he said. “We really didn’t change anything or run anything different. We probably just called a few more things on the fly.”
For Luster, who went into the game averaging 4.5 points and 6.5 assists a game, it will be a wait-and-see situation for the Cowboys.
“It’s not a severe separation, but from what I understand, he just wasn’t able to come back, so we’re going to have to go day-to-day and see where we’re at,” Schroyer said.
The Cowboys return to action Wednesday at Denver.
Broncos struggle in Okoye's return to A-A
Boise State forward Ike Okoye
By Bobby Abplanalp
Wyoming Sports.org
Boise State was under pressure Saturday and the results were predictable.
The Broncos, 2-2, turned the ball over 23 times, resulting in 31 Wyoming points in the 87-61 Cowboy win in the Arena-Auditorium. On the road, that usually spells doom, Boise State coach Greg Graham said.
“They got after us and pressured us and we lost our composure,” BSU head coach Greg Graham said. “We just had way too many turnovers. Probably our offense hurt us as much as our defense. We were 2 for 20 from the ‘three’ and had 23 turnovers. You don’t slow them down much when you’re doing that.”
Not only did the Broncos miss 18 3-pointers, they shot just 36 percent from the field against the ball-hawking Cowboys.
“I hope this is a wake-up call for us to start playing better,” Graham said. “It is a tough loss in a tough place to play. I think we are a better team than what we showed tonight.”
Bronco power forward Ike Okoye was welcomed back in the Arena-Auditorium, as he played for the Cowboys from 2004-06, before transferring to Boise State after the departure of former UW head coach Steve McClain.
“The air is still bad,” Okoye said. “They’re (Wyoming) real athletic, they dunked everything. I watched a lot of them on film. You guys have a real nice team.”
Okoye finished with eight points and seven rebounds, a drop-off from his 21 points and 12 rebounds he posted against the Pokes last season in Boise where the Broncos held on for a dramatic 86-85 win. When asked if this game is different because of his ties to both schools, Okoye said it’s just another game.
“I don’t really know any of the guys on the team, so it really isn’t a rivalry anymore,” he said. “When you guys came to our house, it was real because I knew Brandon (Ewing) and we talked a lot of smack back and forth, but this year it was really just another game.”
Boise State will stay on the road when they play the Eastern Washington Eagles Tuesday at 8 p.m., in Cheney, Wash.
By Bobby Abplanalp
Wyoming Sports.org
Boise State was under pressure Saturday and the results were predictable.
The Broncos, 2-2, turned the ball over 23 times, resulting in 31 Wyoming points in the 87-61 Cowboy win in the Arena-Auditorium. On the road, that usually spells doom, Boise State coach Greg Graham said.
“They got after us and pressured us and we lost our composure,” BSU head coach Greg Graham said. “We just had way too many turnovers. Probably our offense hurt us as much as our defense. We were 2 for 20 from the ‘three’ and had 23 turnovers. You don’t slow them down much when you’re doing that.”
Not only did the Broncos miss 18 3-pointers, they shot just 36 percent from the field against the ball-hawking Cowboys.
“I hope this is a wake-up call for us to start playing better,” Graham said. “It is a tough loss in a tough place to play. I think we are a better team than what we showed tonight.”
Bronco power forward Ike Okoye was welcomed back in the Arena-Auditorium, as he played for the Cowboys from 2004-06, before transferring to Boise State after the departure of former UW head coach Steve McClain.
“The air is still bad,” Okoye said. “They’re (Wyoming) real athletic, they dunked everything. I watched a lot of them on film. You guys have a real nice team.”
Okoye finished with eight points and seven rebounds, a drop-off from his 21 points and 12 rebounds he posted against the Pokes last season in Boise where the Broncos held on for a dramatic 86-85 win. When asked if this game is different because of his ties to both schools, Okoye said it’s just another game.
“I don’t really know any of the guys on the team, so it really isn’t a rivalry anymore,” he said. “When you guys came to our house, it was real because I knew Brandon (Ewing) and we talked a lot of smack back and forth, but this year it was really just another game.”
Boise State will stay on the road when they play the Eastern Washington Eagles Tuesday at 8 p.m., in Cheney, Wash.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Cowboys to host Boise State
The Wyoming Cowboys will return to the court Saturday night with a matchup of two 19-game winners from a year ago when they host Boise State at 7 p.m. in the Arena-Auditorium.
This will mark the 13th all-time meeting between Wyoming and Boise State on the hardwood. Wyoming leads the all-time series 7-5, and is 5-1 against the Broncos in games played in Laramie.
The Cowboys enter Saturday night’s game with some momentum after breaking the all-time Arena-Auditorium scoring record this past Wednesday. The Cowboys improved to 1-1 overall with a 120-73 win over Peru State. Those 120 points scored by the Pokes are just one point shy of the Wyoming all-time scoring record of 121 points, which was set during the 1967-68 season.
Sophomore Afam Muojeke is Wyoming’s leading scorer this season, averaging 22.5 points a game. He enters Saturday’s game only one point shy of scoring his 500th career point.
Redshirt sophomore JayDee Luster turned in one of the greatest assist performances in UW history this past Wednesday night against Peru State. Luster handed out 11 assists and did not commit a turnover. His 11 assists match the fifth most in a single game in UW history. On the year, Luster is averaging 6.5 assists per game.
Three other Cowboys are also averaging double-figures in scoring including junior Djibril Thiam (13.5 ppg), sophomore Thomas Manzano (13.5 ppg) and sophomore A.J. Davis (11.0 ppg).
The Cowboys will be looking to avenge a heartbreaking road loss to Boise State from last year. The Broncos scored a layup at the buzzer, off of an inbound play, to come away with a 86-85 win. Boise State returns three starters and eight letterwinners from that 19-13 team. They ended the 2008-09 season with a loss at Stanford in the opening round of the College Basketball Invitational.
Boise State is currently 2-1 overall after opening their season by playing three games in the Montana Basketball Tournament in Missoula, Mont. The Broncos picked up wins over Loyola Marymount (90-87) and North Dakota (75-60) but lost to Montana (95-82).
Four different Broncos enter Saturday’s game averaging double-figures in scoring. They include junior guard La’Shard Anderson (16.7 ppg), junior forward Paul Noonan (15.7 ppg), senior forward Ike Okoye (13.0 ppg) and senior center Kurt Cunningham (12.3 ppg). Okoye, a former Wyoming Cowboy, is the Broncos leading rebounder, averaging 8.3 per contest.
After Saturday’s game, the Cowboys will begin preparing for their first road game of the 2009-10 season. Wyoming will play at Denver on Wednesday. The game will begin at 7 p.m. from DU’s Magness Arena and will be televised by FSN Rocky Mountain.
This will mark the 13th all-time meeting between Wyoming and Boise State on the hardwood. Wyoming leads the all-time series 7-5, and is 5-1 against the Broncos in games played in Laramie.
The Cowboys enter Saturday night’s game with some momentum after breaking the all-time Arena-Auditorium scoring record this past Wednesday. The Cowboys improved to 1-1 overall with a 120-73 win over Peru State. Those 120 points scored by the Pokes are just one point shy of the Wyoming all-time scoring record of 121 points, which was set during the 1967-68 season.
Sophomore Afam Muojeke is Wyoming’s leading scorer this season, averaging 22.5 points a game. He enters Saturday’s game only one point shy of scoring his 500th career point.
Redshirt sophomore JayDee Luster turned in one of the greatest assist performances in UW history this past Wednesday night against Peru State. Luster handed out 11 assists and did not commit a turnover. His 11 assists match the fifth most in a single game in UW history. On the year, Luster is averaging 6.5 assists per game.
Three other Cowboys are also averaging double-figures in scoring including junior Djibril Thiam (13.5 ppg), sophomore Thomas Manzano (13.5 ppg) and sophomore A.J. Davis (11.0 ppg).
The Cowboys will be looking to avenge a heartbreaking road loss to Boise State from last year. The Broncos scored a layup at the buzzer, off of an inbound play, to come away with a 86-85 win. Boise State returns three starters and eight letterwinners from that 19-13 team. They ended the 2008-09 season with a loss at Stanford in the opening round of the College Basketball Invitational.
Boise State is currently 2-1 overall after opening their season by playing three games in the Montana Basketball Tournament in Missoula, Mont. The Broncos picked up wins over Loyola Marymount (90-87) and North Dakota (75-60) but lost to Montana (95-82).
Four different Broncos enter Saturday’s game averaging double-figures in scoring. They include junior guard La’Shard Anderson (16.7 ppg), junior forward Paul Noonan (15.7 ppg), senior forward Ike Okoye (13.0 ppg) and senior center Kurt Cunningham (12.3 ppg). Okoye, a former Wyoming Cowboy, is the Broncos leading rebounder, averaging 8.3 per contest.
After Saturday’s game, the Cowboys will begin preparing for their first road game of the 2009-10 season. Wyoming will play at Denver on Wednesday. The game will begin at 7 p.m. from DU’s Magness Arena and will be televised by FSN Rocky Mountain.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Cowboys run past Peru State
UW-Peru State box
By Richard Anderson
Wyoming Sports.org
Last Friday was a hard one to take for Heath Schroyer, the Cowboys and the Wyoming fans.
A 16-point loss in your season opener will do that to you.
On Wednesday, even against tiny NAIA Peru State, the Cowboys looked a little more like what Schroyer has been talking about all along.
Afam Muojeke scored 26 points to lead the Cowboys past the Bobcats 120-73 Wednesday night in the Arena-Auditorium.The Cowboys (1-1) sputtered at times early in the game before taking a 14-point halftime lead. Wyoming then used a 17-3 run in the opening minutes of the second half to pad its lead and run away with the win.
Schroyer said his team show marked improvement defensively on Wednesday.
“I was happy that we were able to get out on the passing lanes and just play on our toes, which I don’t think we did the last game versus South Dakota State,” Schroyer said.
Sophomore guard JayDee Luster, who had 11 assists, said they had a little point to prove after their opening loss.
"I think it felt good to redeem ourselves, just focuses on us and do what we had to do, and that's what we did tonight," Luster said.
Thomas Manzano had 19 points for the Cowboys. Djibril Thiam had 18, Ryan Dermody had 12 and Daylen Harrison added 10.The Cowboys' full-court press forced 34 turnovers that led to 45 points.
Granted, the game was against a NAIA school, but Luster said that really didn't matter.
"We have to come out with high energy and just worry about us every night. If we think about who we are playing against, that's a problem," Luster said. "Just do what we do ... pressure the ball and things like that."
Schroyer said that their depth at 7,200 feet can cause teams problems and they were able to eventually wear down the Bobcats in the second half.
“It really wasn’t anything fancy but just picking it up full court and just trying to get our guys to play on their toes,” Schroyer said. “They are going to get better defensively as they understand rotations and as they understand picking up from full court.”
The Cowboys shot 61 percent (43 of 71) to just 38 percent for Peru State (23 of 60).
“Offensively, we did a nice job of sharing the ball,” Schroyer said. “We had 27 assists on 43 made field goals, which I love.”
Laramie native Marshall Kelly led Peru State (2-6) with 16 points and Jovan Hitch added 15 for the NAIA team.
“We used this game as a learning experience and I think especially in the first half we did some good things,” Peru State coach Troy Katen said. “We executed what we wanted and did some things defensively that caused them some programs.“
By Richard Anderson
Wyoming Sports.org
Last Friday was a hard one to take for Heath Schroyer, the Cowboys and the Wyoming fans.
A 16-point loss in your season opener will do that to you.
On Wednesday, even against tiny NAIA Peru State, the Cowboys looked a little more like what Schroyer has been talking about all along.
Afam Muojeke scored 26 points to lead the Cowboys past the Bobcats 120-73 Wednesday night in the Arena-Auditorium.The Cowboys (1-1) sputtered at times early in the game before taking a 14-point halftime lead. Wyoming then used a 17-3 run in the opening minutes of the second half to pad its lead and run away with the win.
Schroyer said his team show marked improvement defensively on Wednesday.
“I was happy that we were able to get out on the passing lanes and just play on our toes, which I don’t think we did the last game versus South Dakota State,” Schroyer said.
Sophomore guard JayDee Luster, who had 11 assists, said they had a little point to prove after their opening loss.
"I think it felt good to redeem ourselves, just focuses on us and do what we had to do, and that's what we did tonight," Luster said.
Thomas Manzano had 19 points for the Cowboys. Djibril Thiam had 18, Ryan Dermody had 12 and Daylen Harrison added 10.The Cowboys' full-court press forced 34 turnovers that led to 45 points.
Granted, the game was against a NAIA school, but Luster said that really didn't matter.
"We have to come out with high energy and just worry about us every night. If we think about who we are playing against, that's a problem," Luster said. "Just do what we do ... pressure the ball and things like that."
Schroyer said that their depth at 7,200 feet can cause teams problems and they were able to eventually wear down the Bobcats in the second half.
“It really wasn’t anything fancy but just picking it up full court and just trying to get our guys to play on their toes,” Schroyer said. “They are going to get better defensively as they understand rotations and as they understand picking up from full court.”
The Cowboys shot 61 percent (43 of 71) to just 38 percent for Peru State (23 of 60).
“Offensively, we did a nice job of sharing the ball,” Schroyer said. “We had 27 assists on 43 made field goals, which I love.”
Laramie native Marshall Kelly led Peru State (2-6) with 16 points and Jovan Hitch added 15 for the NAIA team.
“We used this game as a learning experience and I think especially in the first half we did some good things,” Peru State coach Troy Katen said. “We executed what we wanted and did some things defensively that caused them some programs.“
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Cowboys to host Peru State
The University of Wyoming Cowboy basketball team will look to rebound from a tough season opening loss, as it hosts Peru State Wednesday, with tip-off at 7 p.m. in the Arena-Auditorium.
The Cowboys fell to the Jackrabbits in their opener 77-61, marking only the 28th non-conference loss by a Cowboy team in the 28-year history of the Arena-Auditorium.
In that loss, the Cowboys were led by a pair of sophomores in A.J. Davis and Afam Muojeke. Muojeke scored a game high 19 points and Davis matched his career high with 14 points. For Muojeke, it marked the 23rd time he has scored in double-figures in his young career. He also inched closer to the 500-point plateau for his career, as he has now scored 473 points through his first 34 career games.
Wednesday will be the first-ever meeting between the Cowboys and the Peru State Bobcats. Peru State has already played one exhibition and seven regular-season games and are 2-5 overall. Two Bobcats are averaging double-figures in scoring, senior forward Steven Burks (13.9 ppg) and junior guard Jovan Hitch (10.6 ppg). The Bobcats’ roster also features a familiar face to Laramie High School basketball fans in former Plainsman Marshall Kelly.
Following Wednesday’s game, Wyoming will return to action on Saturday. Following the Wyoming-TCU football game, the Cowboy basketball team will host Boise State at 7 p.m. in the Arena-Auditorium.
The Cowboys fell to the Jackrabbits in their opener 77-61, marking only the 28th non-conference loss by a Cowboy team in the 28-year history of the Arena-Auditorium.
In that loss, the Cowboys were led by a pair of sophomores in A.J. Davis and Afam Muojeke. Muojeke scored a game high 19 points and Davis matched his career high with 14 points. For Muojeke, it marked the 23rd time he has scored in double-figures in his young career. He also inched closer to the 500-point plateau for his career, as he has now scored 473 points through his first 34 career games.
Wednesday will be the first-ever meeting between the Cowboys and the Peru State Bobcats. Peru State has already played one exhibition and seven regular-season games and are 2-5 overall. Two Bobcats are averaging double-figures in scoring, senior forward Steven Burks (13.9 ppg) and junior guard Jovan Hitch (10.6 ppg). The Bobcats’ roster also features a familiar face to Laramie High School basketball fans in former Plainsman Marshall Kelly.
Following Wednesday’s game, Wyoming will return to action on Saturday. Following the Wyoming-TCU football game, the Cowboy basketball team will host Boise State at 7 p.m. in the Arena-Auditorium.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Jackrabbits pounce on Cowboys
UW-SDSU boxscore
by Bobby Abplanalp
Wyoming Sports.org
Surprise, surprise. Evidently, the Wyoming Cowboys were.
The South Dakota State Jackrabbits got the Cowboys attention early and never let up, crushing Wyoming 77-61 Friday night at the Arena-Auditorium in the season opener for both teams
From start to finish, it was clear who was the better team was . After Wyoming took a 4-2 lead, it was all South Dakota State after that, using a 13-0 run to all but seal it.
It may be signs of a young team still learning to play together, but one thing is for sure, the Jackrabbits came to win, taking a 45-25 lead at the break. The Cowboys tried to rally in the second half, but could not get any closer than 16 points, and South Dakota State put the pedal to the metal and cruised out to a 28 point lead at 72-44.
Afam Muojeke had a game high 19 points with teammate A.J. Davis chipping in 14, but it was not nearly enough. Muojeke said the team wasn’t ready.
“We took these guys lightly and we got what we deserved,” he said.
While the Jackrabbits caught the Cowboys off guard, South Dakota State coach Scott Nagy said his team came out and played exactly the way he expected them to play.
"Nobody knows South Dakota State, but we have a pretty good basketball team," Nagy said. "We have some pretty tough kids and we shoot the ball pretty good, and that's what gave us the lead."
South Dakota State was led by Clint Sargent’s 18 points on six of 10 shooting, while Kai Williams threw in 17 on six of seven from the field.
“My hats off to Coach Nagy and South Dakota State,” UW head Coach Heath Schroyer said. “They’re very good. We knew that coming in and we knew it would be a big test for us. They’re so experienced and they’re so good at running their style to our young guys and they handed it to us pretty well.”
After scoring 24 fastbreak points last week in their exhibition win over Regis University, Wyoming had just two points off of the break against South Dakota State. Slowing down the Cowboys was Nagy's main objective.
"The key for us was getting them (Wyoming) out of the fast break because they're so much bigger and more athletic than us," Nagy said. "If we could get them into the half court, get in and make them shoot the ball from the outside, I knew that we had a chance."
Sargent and Williams combined for eight 3-pointers in the first half and the Jackrabbits finished the game by hitting 11-of-21, to just 3-of-13 for Wyoming. South Dakota State also shot 53 percent from the field, to just 42 percent for the Cowboys. The Jackrabbits also out-rebounded the Cowboys 30-29.
The Pokes will try and regroup when they take on the Peru (Neb.) State Bobcats Wednesday night in the Arena-Auditorium at 7 p.m.
by Bobby Abplanalp
Wyoming Sports.org
Surprise, surprise. Evidently, the Wyoming Cowboys were.
The South Dakota State Jackrabbits got the Cowboys attention early and never let up, crushing Wyoming 77-61 Friday night at the Arena-Auditorium in the season opener for both teams
From start to finish, it was clear who was the better team was . After Wyoming took a 4-2 lead, it was all South Dakota State after that, using a 13-0 run to all but seal it.
It may be signs of a young team still learning to play together, but one thing is for sure, the Jackrabbits came to win, taking a 45-25 lead at the break. The Cowboys tried to rally in the second half, but could not get any closer than 16 points, and South Dakota State put the pedal to the metal and cruised out to a 28 point lead at 72-44.
Afam Muojeke had a game high 19 points with teammate A.J. Davis chipping in 14, but it was not nearly enough. Muojeke said the team wasn’t ready.
“We took these guys lightly and we got what we deserved,” he said.
While the Jackrabbits caught the Cowboys off guard, South Dakota State coach Scott Nagy said his team came out and played exactly the way he expected them to play.
"Nobody knows South Dakota State, but we have a pretty good basketball team," Nagy said. "We have some pretty tough kids and we shoot the ball pretty good, and that's what gave us the lead."
South Dakota State was led by Clint Sargent’s 18 points on six of 10 shooting, while Kai Williams threw in 17 on six of seven from the field.
“My hats off to Coach Nagy and South Dakota State,” UW head Coach Heath Schroyer said. “They’re very good. We knew that coming in and we knew it would be a big test for us. They’re so experienced and they’re so good at running their style to our young guys and they handed it to us pretty well.”
After scoring 24 fastbreak points last week in their exhibition win over Regis University, Wyoming had just two points off of the break against South Dakota State. Slowing down the Cowboys was Nagy's main objective.
"The key for us was getting them (Wyoming) out of the fast break because they're so much bigger and more athletic than us," Nagy said. "If we could get them into the half court, get in and make them shoot the ball from the outside, I knew that we had a chance."
Sargent and Williams combined for eight 3-pointers in the first half and the Jackrabbits finished the game by hitting 11-of-21, to just 3-of-13 for Wyoming. South Dakota State also shot 53 percent from the field, to just 42 percent for the Cowboys. The Jackrabbits also out-rebounded the Cowboys 30-29.
The Pokes will try and regroup when they take on the Peru (Neb.) State Bobcats Wednesday night in the Arena-Auditorium at 7 p.m.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Cowboys open with South Dakota State
by UW Athletic Media Relations
The 105th season of Wyoming Cowboy basketball begins Friday night, as the Cowboys host South Dakota State at 7:30 p.m. in the Arena-Auditorium. This will mark the season opener for both the Cowboys and Jackrabbits.
Wyoming enters the 2009-10 season on a five-game winning streak in season-opening games. In Cowboy basketball history, the Cowboys have posted a 69-35 (.663) record in their first game of each season.
In home openers, the Cowboys are even more impressive. In fact, the Pokes have posted an all-time record of 83-21 (.798) in their first home game of each season.
The Cowboys are fresh off of an impressive exhibition win over Regis University. Last Saturday, the Pokes beat Regis 78-60 behind a strong scoring night by junior Djibril Thiam. Thiam scored what would have been a career high 24 points in the win. Sophomore Afam Muojeke, who was the 2009 Mountain West Conference Freshman of the Year, added 18 points for UW. Redshirt sophomore JayDee Luster handed out 11 assists and scored eight points in his first game in a Brown and Gold uniform.
South Dakota State, of the Summit League, is coming off of a 13-20 record from a year ago. They return all five starters and 10 letterwinners from that team. They are led by junior guard Garrett Callahan who averaged 15.8 points, 1.9 assists and shot 42.7 percent from three-point range last season.
South Dakota State played one exhibition game this season, defeating Dakota State 72-58.
Wyoming leads the all-time series with South Dakota State 2-0. The two teams met twice in UW’s War Memorial Fieldhouse in the 1960’s. Wyoming won both meetings, 77-58 on Dec. 14, 1962 and 106-61 on Dec. 5, 1969.
Following Friday’s season-opener, the Cowboys will return to action on Wednesday when they welcome Peru State to the Arena-Auditorium for a 7 p.m. game.
The 105th season of Wyoming Cowboy basketball begins Friday night, as the Cowboys host South Dakota State at 7:30 p.m. in the Arena-Auditorium. This will mark the season opener for both the Cowboys and Jackrabbits.
Wyoming enters the 2009-10 season on a five-game winning streak in season-opening games. In Cowboy basketball history, the Cowboys have posted a 69-35 (.663) record in their first game of each season.
In home openers, the Cowboys are even more impressive. In fact, the Pokes have posted an all-time record of 83-21 (.798) in their first home game of each season.
The Cowboys are fresh off of an impressive exhibition win over Regis University. Last Saturday, the Pokes beat Regis 78-60 behind a strong scoring night by junior Djibril Thiam. Thiam scored what would have been a career high 24 points in the win. Sophomore Afam Muojeke, who was the 2009 Mountain West Conference Freshman of the Year, added 18 points for UW. Redshirt sophomore JayDee Luster handed out 11 assists and scored eight points in his first game in a Brown and Gold uniform.
South Dakota State, of the Summit League, is coming off of a 13-20 record from a year ago. They return all five starters and 10 letterwinners from that team. They are led by junior guard Garrett Callahan who averaged 15.8 points, 1.9 assists and shot 42.7 percent from three-point range last season.
South Dakota State played one exhibition game this season, defeating Dakota State 72-58.
Wyoming leads the all-time series with South Dakota State 2-0. The two teams met twice in UW’s War Memorial Fieldhouse in the 1960’s. Wyoming won both meetings, 77-58 on Dec. 14, 1962 and 106-61 on Dec. 5, 1969.
Following Friday’s season-opener, the Cowboys will return to action on Wednesday when they welcome Peru State to the Arena-Auditorium for a 7 p.m. game.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Luster has the Cowboys on the run
UW photo
Wyoming guard JayDee Luster drives to the basket against Regis University on Saturday.
UW-Regis statistics
By Richard Anderson
Wyoming Sports.org
The last time JayDee Luster played in a real game, it was mop-up time two years ago for New Mexico State.
Luster showed why there has been a great deal of anticipation for his debut and why Wyoming head coach Heath Schroyer named him the team captain before he had ever played a game in a Cowboy uniform.
Luster scored eight points and dished out 11 assists in leading the Cowboys to a 78-60 exhibition win over Regis University Saturday night at the Arena-Auditorium.
“It was definitely different. I hadn’t played in a real game in about two years,” Luster said. “Before the game, I just said a prayer.”
UW junior Djibril Thiam, who scored a game-high 24 points, said Luster’s game speaks for itself.
“We have to go out and use him like Coach says; his strength is his speed out on the court. We have to utilize him all of the time and get out and run,” Thiam said. “The altitude is also one of ours strengths. Once we start running all of the time, once we start wearing teams out, we’ll open it up and start scoring a lot easier.”
Listed at 5-foot-9, Luster is lightning in a bottle. That basically tells you that the Cowboys have to be in shape, just to keep up.
“We condition here a lot because of JayDee,” said Wyoming sophomore forward Afam Muojeke, who added 18 points. “No offense to Brandon (Ewing), but he is a different kind of point guard. He just wants to run and get everybody going. I think that is a big plus for us going into the season.”
With the new-look Cowboys on the run on Saturday, the results also spoke for themselves. Wyoming held a improbable 24-0 advantage in points scored on the fast break. Many of those points were of the highlight reel dunk category.
“The strength of this team needs to be three things,” Schroyer said. “We need to be able to defend, we need to be able to rebound and we have to be able to run. If we do those three things, then we have a chance.”
Running the ball like Schroyer wants to means the Cowboy have to be thick on the bench. Schroyer plans on using a 10-man rotation and they showed glimpses of that depth on Saturday.
“Like I said, I’ve never been in a situation here where I have been able to sit more than one or two starters at a time,” Schroyer said. “I looked out there today and we had four starters sitting on the bench for big minutes, which is great. When those guys got back out in the game, they were ready to go.”
Luster is the straw that stirs the drink.
“I think JayDee makes a huge difference,” Schroyer said. “I also think our spacing in our transition game is obviously better, and that is the whole key when you want to run, if you want to be a fast break team. It is all about your spacing.”
While most of the Wyoming basketball fans saw Luster for the first time, Schroyer is at the head of the line of the JayDee Luster Fan Club. Schroyer tried to recruit Luster when he was an assistant at Fresno State and he was able to land him on his second try.
“I’ve always said that I am a big JayDee Luster fan,” Schroyer said. “I think he is really good for this team. He is a guy who really pushes this tempo. Everyone of you can tell he is infectious. Guys really like to play with him because they know if they run and space the floor the right way, he’s going to give it to them. He’s the most selfish kid I have been around.”
If the Cowboys play their cards right and run the floor the way they need to, it will be feeding time.
Muojeke, Thiam picking up the slack
Richard Anderson photos
Wyoming sophomore Afam Muojeke drives on a Regis University player Saturday. At bottom, right, junior Djibril Thiam looks to make a post move.
By Bobby Abplanalp
Wyoming Sports.org
It took the Cowboys a little while, but big play from starting junior and sophomore forwards Djibril Thiam and Afam Muojeke bolted Wyoming past the Regis Rangers 78-60 Saturday night at the Arena-Auditorium.
Muojeke, the 2009 Mountain West Conference Freshman of the Year, had 18 points on 7-of-12 from the field in 22 minutes, while Thiam was a perfect 9 for 9 shooting on his way to 24 points in 34 minutes.
Much has been said of who will step in place of former point guard Brandon Ewing and his scoring presence. Saturday night, Wyoming fans likely got their answer.
“We got great group of guys and everyone is talented enough to go out there and get 24 or 25 (points) a game,” Muojeke said. “It’s not just me.”
“Afam (Muojeke) is really growing up. I couldn’t be happier with him,” UW head coach Heath Schroyer said. “The ball is really flowing threw him. The best thing about him is that he is starting to see the game through my eyes. He understands when his spacing is bad and he understands when he made a mistake defensively. He’s really just maturing as a player.”
Thiam said it is all about what they need to do as a team.
“If we just come out and do what we have to do, I can score today, tomorrow and Afam can get his. The next day, A.J. (Davis) and JayDee (Luster) can get his,” Thiam said. “We just have to lock up and make free throws.”
Schroyer reminded the media that he has said all along that Thiam has the ability to have a breakout year. While it is just an exhibition, he showed that on Saturday.
“He’s versatile, he can go inside, he can go outside and probably more than anything, he can really run,” Schroyer said. “He’s such a matchup problem if we space the floor the correct way in our transition game. He’s playing with a lot of confidence and we have a lot of confidence in him.”
Wyoming will begin regular-season play next Friday night when they open up with the South Dakota State Jackrabbits at 7:30 p.m., in the Arena-Auditorium.
Friday, November 6, 2009
Cowboy basketball to tip with Regis
by UW Athletics Media Relations
The 2009-10 University of Wyoming men's basketball team will take the floor for the first time Saturday evening as the Cowboys host Regis University in their only exhibition game of the season. The game is set to begin at 5:30 p.m. in the Arena-Auditorium.
Led by third-year head coach Heath Schroyer, the Cowboys are anxious to play their first game since opening practice on Oct. 16.
Wyoming is currently enjoying an 18-game winning streak in exhibition games. In fact, the Cowboys have not lost an exhibition game since the 1999 season. Since playing their first exhibition game during the 1982-83 season, Wyoming has posted an all-time exhibition record of 39-6 (.867). In exhibition games against other universities, the Cowboys have never lost and are a perfect 9-0 (1.000).
The Cowboys enter the 2009-10 season with a great deal of momentum. Last season, the Pokes reached the postseason for the first time since the 2002-03 season and played in the College Basketball Invitational. They finished with an overall record of 19-14 and beat four teams that eventually played in the postseason. The Pokes also advanced to the semifinals of the Mountain West Conference Championship.
While the Cowboys are tied for the third fewest upperclassmen in the nation with three, they have a great deal of young talent set to take the floor for the first time this season. They will be led by the 2009 Mountain West Conference Freshman of the Year, Afam Muojeke. Muojeke became the MWC’s all-time leading freshman scorer and averaged 14.8 points and 5.3 rebounds a game.
The Cowboys also welcome back another starter in sophomore Adam Waddell. Waddell became UW’s starting center as a redshirt freshman and averaged 5.1 points, 3.9 rebounds and 0.64 blocks per game. Unfortunately, Waddell had to have knee surgery last week and is expected to miss one to two more weeks.
In addition to Muojeke and Waddell, the Cowboys welcome back three other letterwinners in senior Ryan Dermody, junior Djibril Thiam and sophomore A.J. Davis. They also welcome back one team member, Arthur Bouedo.
The Cowboys have an exciting group of young players led by a pair of Division I transfers -- JayDee Luster (New Mexico State) and Boubacar Sylla (Auburn). In terms of newcomers, the coaching staff is excited about sophomore Thomas Manzano and freshmen Desmar Jackson, Daylen Harrison and Amath M’Baye.
Following Saturday’s exhibition game, the Cowboys will open the 2009-10 regular season on Nov. 13 as they host South Dakota State.
The 2009-10 University of Wyoming men's basketball team will take the floor for the first time Saturday evening as the Cowboys host Regis University in their only exhibition game of the season. The game is set to begin at 5:30 p.m. in the Arena-Auditorium.
Led by third-year head coach Heath Schroyer, the Cowboys are anxious to play their first game since opening practice on Oct. 16.
Wyoming is currently enjoying an 18-game winning streak in exhibition games. In fact, the Cowboys have not lost an exhibition game since the 1999 season. Since playing their first exhibition game during the 1982-83 season, Wyoming has posted an all-time exhibition record of 39-6 (.867). In exhibition games against other universities, the Cowboys have never lost and are a perfect 9-0 (1.000).
The Cowboys enter the 2009-10 season with a great deal of momentum. Last season, the Pokes reached the postseason for the first time since the 2002-03 season and played in the College Basketball Invitational. They finished with an overall record of 19-14 and beat four teams that eventually played in the postseason. The Pokes also advanced to the semifinals of the Mountain West Conference Championship.
While the Cowboys are tied for the third fewest upperclassmen in the nation with three, they have a great deal of young talent set to take the floor for the first time this season. They will be led by the 2009 Mountain West Conference Freshman of the Year, Afam Muojeke. Muojeke became the MWC’s all-time leading freshman scorer and averaged 14.8 points and 5.3 rebounds a game.
The Cowboys also welcome back another starter in sophomore Adam Waddell. Waddell became UW’s starting center as a redshirt freshman and averaged 5.1 points, 3.9 rebounds and 0.64 blocks per game. Unfortunately, Waddell had to have knee surgery last week and is expected to miss one to two more weeks.
In addition to Muojeke and Waddell, the Cowboys welcome back three other letterwinners in senior Ryan Dermody, junior Djibril Thiam and sophomore A.J. Davis. They also welcome back one team member, Arthur Bouedo.
The Cowboys have an exciting group of young players led by a pair of Division I transfers -- JayDee Luster (New Mexico State) and Boubacar Sylla (Auburn). In terms of newcomers, the coaching staff is excited about sophomore Thomas Manzano and freshmen Desmar Jackson, Daylen Harrison and Amath M’Baye.
Following Saturday’s exhibition game, the Cowboys will open the 2009-10 regular season on Nov. 13 as they host South Dakota State.
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